Wayne State University

Theater Management Program

Department of Theatre
4841 Cass Ave., Suite 3225
Detroit, MI 48202
United States
Main Phone: 313/577-3508
Main E-Mail: theatrepr@wayne.edu

Degree/Credential: Graduate (MFA in Theatre with an emphasis in Theatre Management)
Web Site: http://www.theatre.wayne.edu

Program Director: ARhine [link available to AAAE members only]

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Program Goals and Objectives

The primary focus of the Theatre Management program at Wayne State University is a comprehensive and realistic program preparing graduates for advanced careers in theatre management. Students, upon completion of the three year course of study, will have taken a series of seminars designed to train them in the skills required to participate in the administration of a theatre, either not-for-profit professional or commercial (although the program's primary emphasis is not-for-profit) including seminars in human resources, fundraising, public relations, and marketing. The curriculum also requires students to take related cognate courses outside the department in such areas as business and communications. Additionally, theatre management students participate in the management of the three producing theatres of Wayne State University, serving in major positions such as media relations coordinator, box office manager, house manager, and donor relations and special events coordinator .

While the primary emphasis is on the preparation for management positions, graduate students may elect to teach an undergraduate course in theatre management in their third year. The program seeks to blend theory and practice, providing students the theories which support the practical work and means by which to exercise those theories. One seminar is directed to providing students the tools to complete research required of theatre managers, including historical and market research. Students must complete a research project that they present at the end of the three-year program.

The program seeks students with theatre, business, or communications backgrounds in their undergraduate program, although this is not a requirement. Many students also have experience in the theatre (some in theatre management) prior to their enrollment in the program. The three producing theatres of Wayne State University--the Hilberry, the Bonstelle, and the Studio Theatres--are a central part of the Detroit cultural scene; as such, the theatre management program is committed to recruiting a diverse student population.

Admission to the theatre management M.F.A. degree program at Wayne State University comes with a generous assistantship package, with a stipend of over $11,000, medical and dental insurance benefits, and full tuition waiver.

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Administration of the Program

The program is headed by a faculty member within the Department of Theatre and is supported by a broad range of resources both within and outside the Department. The Department of Theatre is part of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; theatre management students take courses throughout the University, including courses in the School of Business and in the Not-for-Profit Sector Studies. Curricular committees at departmental, college, and university levels monitor the curricular goals and objectives of all programs in the Department of Theatre. The department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the theatre management MFA degree program is a member of the Association of Arts Administration Educators. The department is an organizational member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and a sustaining member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

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Curriculum

The M.F.A. in Theatre Management is a 60-credit hour degree. The degree takes three years to complete. Required courses include seminars in the following topics: Advanced Studies in Theatre Management (organizational structures, arts advocacy, strategic planning), Human Resources and Financial Management (budgeting, unions and labor law), Public Relations and the Theatre, Marketing the Theatre, Fund Development and the Theatre, and Survey/Research Techniques for Theatre Managers (including literary, historical, and market research techniques). Students are also required to complete practicum courses each semester of the program. These courses are credit hours for work completed in the management of the theatres. Students are encouraged to complete an internship during their time at the University, either over the summer or during the school year (if available and schedule appropriate). Elective courses include Non-Profit Sector Studies, Markets and Marketing, Organizational Communication, and Legal Environment of the Arts. Students are required to complete a research-based exit project, in which they propose a research project, prepare a written report on the research, and present the research to a committee.

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Admissions

The process of recruitment and acceptance of students begins each year in October and ends with offers being made typically in March and April. The Theatre Management program is comprised of 8 graduate assistants; between two and five students are accepted each year.

To apply to the Theatre Management program, a student must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (some students admitted provisionally with GPAs of 2.5 or above).
To request application materials, please contact the Department of Theatre at the address above, by email to ac8806@wayne.edu, or online at www.theatre.wayne.edu.

A PDF of the application is available on the web: http://www.theatre.wayne.edu/t_aboutgrad.html. Interested students should print out the PDF of the application, fill it out, and mail or fax. A complete application packet for the theatre management program includes the application, a writing sample (a flyer, postcard, press release, or other sample, including an undergraduate paper), letters of recommendation from those most intricately involved with the student's work, and unofficial transcripts from all universities attended by the student. An interview with the candidate is also required. Interviews happen yearly in Chicago, New York, and Detroit. Interested students are also encouraged to visit the Detroit area.